The invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly to electrical connectors including circuit boards used as electric contacts in medical imaging devices.
Medical imaging devices are utilized in a wide range of situations in order to obtain images of the tissue of interest within a patient in order to determine the proper treatment for the condition of the individual as determined by the images.
These imaging devices require power in order for their operation. Power is normally supplied in the form of electric current obtained from a suitable power outlet located in the vicinity of the imaging device being utilized. The current is directed into the imaging device by a suitable electrical connection, such as a conventional plug and socket connection, made between the power source and the imaging device.
In many imaging devices, electrical connections are additionally made between the imaging device and various attachments that are connected to the imaging device. In these imaging devices, the power supplied to the imaging device from the power outlet can be routed through the imaging device not only to power the imaging device, but to supply power to the various attachments to the imaging device.
As these imaging devices and the attachments to the imaging devices can and do come into contact with the patient, there are many requirements with regard to the safety of the patient for the isolation of the current supplied to the imaging device from the patient. Thus, with the electrical connections made between the attachments and the imaging device, these connections often utilize constructions that provide effective electrical isolation of the contacts for the electrical connections to be made, thereby preventing inadvertent contact with the contacts.
In one example of a prior art electrical connection, as shown in FIG. 1, a printed circuit board (PCB) 1000 is constructed to provide vias 1002 within the board 1000 that isolate the contacts 1004 from the exterior of the board 1000, and thus from contact with the patient. In step 1 of forming the board 1000, initially the electric surface mount contacts 1004 are printed or otherwise applied to SMD pads 1006 positioned on a board 1008. In step 2, a second board 1010 is positioned over and in alignment with the first board 1008, where the second board 1010 forms the isolation layer separating the contacts 1004 from the exterior of the PCB 1000. In step 3, mechanical drilling is used to form vias 1002 through the board 1010, but that stop short of the contacts 1004 to avoid damage to the contacts 1004. In step 4, laser drilling is utilized to expose the contacts 1004 within the board 1010, thereby allowing electrical connections to be made by the insertion of suitable conductive structures (not shown) into the vias 1002 which are held in electrical connection with the contacts by frictional engagement with the vias 1002.
However, in this manufacturing method for the PCBs 1000, the laser drilling in step 4 often resulted in overdrilling at the bottom of the vias 1002, due to the fact that the lasers used in the drilling are not completely oriented perpendicularly to the board 1010. As such, the lasers would drill laterally into the board 1010 and expose the sides of the contacts 1004, which significantly degrades the electric connections to be made with the vias 1002.
In an attempt to remedy this issue, a prior art solution was to form the pads 1006 larger than the contacts 1004. In this construction the pads 1006 would prevent the lasers from drilling around the sides of the contacts 1004 due to the presence of the larger pads 1006 around the contacts 1004.
However, while the prior art solution of the use of larger pads 1006 prevented the overdrilling of the vias 1002 within the PCB 1000, the prior art PCBs 1000 still required a complex, four step construction process in order to create the desired construction for the isolation of the contacts 1004 on the PCBs 1000.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a system and method for the construction of a PCB that electrically isolates the contacts on the PCB but with a simpler construction and manufacturing process.